Lemon Pudding Cake

Lamb Meat Balls

Arincini Italian Rice Balls

You won't find this soup in Italy.

Meatballs:
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 egg
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 pound ground pork
1/4 pound ground beef

For the Soup:
8 cups chicken broth
1 cup carrots, diced
4 cups roughly chopped kale, escarole, green chicory or swiss chard
2 cups cooked pasta, small shells, bow ties or penne pasta
2 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
season to taste with salt and pepper

To make the meatballs: 

Mix the first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl; add cheese, beef and pork. Using about 1-2 teaspoons of meat shape the meat mixture into 1-inch-diameter meatballs, you should have roughly about 15-20.
You can cook the meatballs in a medium pan with a little bit of olive oil over medium-heat  for about a minute or two  for a nice crust.  Cook meatballs about 2 minutes less when adding to the soup.

To make the soup: Bring the broth to a boil in a pot over medium-high heat. Add carrots, meatballs (if not browning) and greens. Cook and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through and the carrots and greens are tender, about 6-8 minutes. Add pasta and cheese and season t to taste with salt and pepper.

 Serves 4

Don’t add a load of breadcrumbs

Wet your hands when forming the balls

Taste and cook before you make a batch

Be gentle when browning so they keep their lovely shape

All meat in meatballs doesn’t have to be ground 

Make them whatever size suits you; just adjust the cooking time

Onions almost always make them taste great

When making a large batch, get kitchen minions to help

Have a Ball!

A Classic Italian American Favorite

 Ingredients:

1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 small onion, chopped
1 egg
1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
Salt and Pepper to taste
Butter or olive oil to cook meatballs

Great meatballs start with the very best ingredients

1. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients except butter or olive oil. Grab of small ball of meat with wet hands and roll between palms to form a ball of your desired size, about 2 inches round is a pretty good size.

2. In a skillet, heat butter or olive oil over medium-high heat. Add meatballs in batches, leaving space in between the meatballs so they brown and don’t steam.

3. Brown meatballs on all sides, about 2- to 3 minutes on each side; carefully turn with tongs or a large spoon. Continue cooking until browned all over, about 10 minutes. Place meatballs on a plate until ready to serve with sauce. You can brown the meatballs and then finish them by simmering them in tomato sauce.

Serve with spaghetti and tomato sauce and grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

 Yield: Makes 10-12 meatballs or  serves 4 as a main course.